Here at Mars, there’s always a story to tell. From our pet hospitals to farmers in our supply chain, new tales are unfolding every day. Dig into our stories and discover why so many of us are proud to be part of the Mars family!

Associates at Mars are everyday heroes. We are united through our inspiring purpose. Our global family and the common bond we share is beyond any other. We all take pride in our unique way of doing business and empower every Associate to learn, expand, dream and develop. Learn why Mars is the company millions want to join, stay and grow with.

Mars Associates are doing big things, as well as making great products that people love to talk about. Read more about Mars in the headlines by visiting our stories. Find the latest news stories, press releases, and more from our family all around the world.

Here at Mars, there’s always a story to tell. From our pet hospitals to farmers in our supply chain, new tales are unfolding every day. Dig into our stories and discover why so many of us are proud to be part of the Mars family!

Associates at Mars are everyday heroes. We are united through our inspiring purpose. Our global family and the common bond we share is beyond any other. We all take pride in our unique way of doing business and empower every Associate to learn, expand

Mars Associates are doing big things, as well as making great products that people love to talk about. Read more about Mars in the headlines by visiting our stories. Find the latest news stories, press releases, and more from our family all around the wor

For more than five generations, Mars has evolved to create products and services that people (and their pets) love. Our storied history began in a kitchen when two men discovered their passion for food and created beloved confections that stood the test of time. However, in the more than 100 years since, we’ve set our sights on also making a better life for people and pets alike. We’re powered by science and the desire to be bold in order to create a better world for us all, today. As a family-owned, global business, we have the unique ability to have a big impact on the world. This also bestows us with the responsibility to make sure we do right by the many communities where we work and live — for the next hundred years and beyond.

Mars is, and always has been, a principles-led business. While we are proud of our past, we have our sights on the future. Everything we do is with a vision to contribute positively to the people and places that our business touches. And it’s not just all talk — we take action. Not only do we endeavor to help create and discover solutions for climate change, we are working toward making scientific leaps in pet nutrition and behavior, as well as finding new and innovative ways to feed the world. We are committed to being a leader who discovers and drives solutions to challenges that impact the world.

It’s a bold purpose, but our principles are backed by our actions. We have been in the business of diverse innovation for a long time, and we are confident that our work today will create the world we want tomorrow.

1880

1883

Mars

Mars Founder Is Born

Frank C. Mars is born in Glenwood, Pope County, Minnesota. As a young boy he contracts polio, which prevents him from being able to walk to school. His mother, Elva, teaches him his lessons in their kitchen and also teaches him how to hand-dip chocolate.

1890

1891

Mars Wrigley

William Wrigley Jr. Arrives in Chicago and Begins Sales Career

William Wrigley Jr. comes to Chicago in the spring of 1891. He is 29 years old, has $32 in his pocket and a great talent for sales. He starts out in the baking powder business, and one day Mr. Wrigley gets the idea to offer merchants free chewing gum with each can of baking powder. The rest is history.

1893

Mars Wrigley

Juicy Fruit and Spearmint Chewing Gums Debut

Juicy Fruit®, the oldest brand in the Wrigley family, was launched just a few months ahead of Wrigley’s Spearmint. Today, Juicy Fruit is the No. 1 fruit gum brand in the United States.

1900

1902

Mars

Frank C. Mars Marries

Frank C. Mars marries Ethel G. Kissack, a school teacher, in Minnesota. He has been selling Taylor’s Molasses Chips in Minnesota since he was 19.

1904

Mars

Forrest E. Mars, Sr. Is Born

Forrest Edward Mars, Sr., is born in Wadena, Minnesota

1910

1911

Mars

Mars Founder Creates and Sells Butter Cream Candy

Frank C. Mars starts making and selling butter cream candy from his kitchen in Tacoma, Washington.

1914

Mars Wrigley

Doublemint® introduced

The gum is originally advertised as having “Double Value” with "Double Strength Peppermint Flavor, Double Wrapped — Always Fresh and Clean.”

1920

1920

Mars

Mars Founder Begins First Candy Business

Frank C. Mars relocates to Minneapolis and finds room to grow. He starts a basket candies business, The Nougat House. It produces Patricia Chocolates, named after Frank and Veronica’s (Frank’s second wife) daughter.

1920

Mars Wrigley

Iconic Chicago Skyscraper Rises on Michigan Avenue

Construction begins on the historic Wrigley Building. A symbol of Chicago featured in countless articles, books, films and television programs, the historic Wrigley Building and its distinctive towers are an architectural favorite among Chicago's residents and visitors.

1922

Mars Wrigley

Business Grows to Include New MAR-O-BAR Candy

Frank introduces the MAR-O-BAR® to his candy range. Known as the MAR-O-BAR Company, Minneapolis, the company is doing business of less than $100,000 per year. Unfortunately, the MAR-O-BAR proves too delicate to stand up well under transportation.

1923

Mars Wrigley

Father and Son Collaborate and Launch New Candy Bar

MILKY WAY® Bar introduced. After getting the idea for a “malted milk in a candy bar” from a discussion with his son Forrest Sr., Frank creates the Milky Way bar in 1923. Its success leads to the hiring of a full-time sales staff.

1929

Mars

Mars Moves to Chicago

Mars relocates and opens a full-production plant in Chicago. Close to 200 Associates move with Mars. With a more centralized location and railroad access, business booms. This is also the year Frank’s only son, Forrest E. Mars, Sr., officially enters the family business.

1930

1930

Mars Wrigley

Mars Brings an Iconic Candy Bar to Market

The SNICKERS® brand is launched.

1932

Mars Wrigley

Americans Find 3 Musketeers® in Stores

3 MUSKETEERS® was introduced to the U.S. market to great success.

1932

Mars

Forrest E. Mars Sr. Moves to UK

In 1932, Forrest E. Mars, Sr. moved to the United Kingdom with a dream of building a business based on the objective of creating a “mutuality of benefits for all stakeholders” — this objective serves as the foundation of Mars, Incorporated, today.

Mars experiments with the new advertising medium by sponsoring a local radio quiz show, Dr. IQ. The Mars Chicago plant temporarily manufactured a bar of the same name, an early example of tying product to advertising.

1939

Mars Wrigley

Doublemint Twins Debut

The Doublemint® twins have been part of one of the most successful and long-lasting advertising campaigns ever created. The distinctive billboard campaigns created in the late 1930s by Wrigley art director Otis Shepard fixed the Doublemint twins concept in the American imagination.

1940

1940

Mars Wrigley

Laying the Foundation for M&M’S®

Forrest E. Mars, Sr. returns to the United States and establishes M&M Limited in Newark, New Jersey.

1941

Mars Wrigley

The Life of the Lentils Begins

The first M&M’S® Plain Chocolate Candies are made for the U.S. Military.

1942

Mars Food

Rice Marks a New Mars Market

Mars enters the rice category and opens the first commercial rice parboiling plant in Houston, Texas, entering the food business. The company becomes known as Uncle Ben’s, Incorporated, in 1959.

1944

Unity With the Troops

Unity With the Troops

During World War II, Wrigley led an unusual move to support U.S. troops and protect the reputation of the company's brands. Because of wartime rationing, Wrigley could not make enough top-quality gum for everyone. Rather than compromise the high quality that people expected, the company took Wrigley's Spearmint®, Doublemint® and Juicy Fruit® off the civilian market and dedicated the entire output of these brands to the U.S. Armed Forces.

1945

Mars Wrigley

M&M’S® Makes Its Big Move

The M&M’S® brand is launched to the general public and grows to become a $1 billion global brand.

1950

1950

Mars Wrigley

A Stamp of Authenticity

The first Ms are printed on M&M’S® plain chocolate candies. To ensure consumers get the “real thing,” the slogan “Look for the M on every piece” is created.

1954

Mars Petcare

A New Food for Dogs in the UK

PAL® food for dogs is launched in the U.K. under the name MEET®. This is changed to PAL® in 1959.

1955

Mars Drinks

Drinks on Demand Expand the Business

Vendepac was established in Slough, England. This extended Mars into the confectionery vending business. They began installing vending machines in industrial and commercial sites. Eventually Vendepac was renamed Four Square, and subsequently, Mars Drinks.

1958

Mars Petcare

A New Brand for Cats in the UK

WHISKAS® Brand cat food was introduced in the U.K.

1958

Mars Wrigley

M&M’S® Drive Company Growth

The success of M&M’S® plain chocolate candies leads to the opening of a new plant in Hackettstown, New Jersey.

1959

Mars

Corporate Headquarters Relocate

Forrest E. Mars, Sr. moved the corporate office of Mars, Incorporated, from Newark, New Jersey, to Washington, D.C.

1960

1960

Mars Wrigley

Doublemint Twins Take Center

Joan and Jane Boyd were the first Doublemint® Twins to appear on television, starring in commercials for four years until their retirement in 1964.

1960

Mars Wrigley

New Slogan Differentiates Mars Bars

The advertising slogan, “A Mars a day helps you work, rest and play” is first used in the U.K.

1960

Mars Petcare

New UK Dog Food Brand Debuts

CHUM® dog food is launched in the U.K.

1962

Mars

Manufacturing Operations Expand in The Netherlands, UK

Forrest E. Mars, Jr. builds and manages the first confectionery plant in Veghel, the Netherlands. Mars Foods segment began manufacturing products in Kings Lynn, England, and marketing campaigns for pet food and other segments began in France and Sweden.

1964

Mars Wrigley

Mars Establishes High-Quality, Local Source of Peanuts

Mars, Incorporated, builds a site called Peanut Craftsmen in the heart of Albany, Georgia’s peanut belt to ensure a reliable source of high-quality nuts for SNICKERS® candy bars and M&M’S® peanut chocolate candies in the U.S.

1965

Mars Petcare

Pet Research Center Opens

The Waltham Centre for Pet Nutrition is established in the U.K. to research the dietary needs and preferences of pets, helping to improve pet nutrition and health.

1967

Mars Petcare

Australia Plant Begins Pet Food Production

Pet food manufacturing began at Uncle Ben's of Australia in Wodonga, Australia.

1968

Mars Petcare

Mars Expands Pet Food Business into U.S. Market

Mars acquires Kal Kan Foods in Los Angeles, California, and begins its association with American dogs, cats and their owners.

1969

Mars

Pioneering Leader Retires

Forrest E. Mars, Sr. retires.

1970

1972

Mars Petcare

Kal Kan Production Begins at New Ohio Facility

Kal Kan began production at a new site in Columbus, Ohio, a central location for growth in the midwestern and eastern U.S. markets.

1974

Mars Wrigley

Bar Code Technology Begins with Juicy Fruit® Gum

In June 1974, a pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit® gum was the first product to be scanned with a bar code. This heralded a new era of automation in supermarket shopping. Since that first pack of gum, black and white bar codes, now well-known, have helped track the sales of billions of items.

1977

Mars Food

First European UNCLE BEN’S® Rice Mill Opens

The first European rice mill for UNCLE BEN’S® products was built in Olen, Belgium. In the same year the product launches in Brazil.

1980

1981

Mars Wrigley

Skittles Starts Manufacturing in U.S.

Skittles began manufacturing in the U.S. Originally produced in the U.K., Skittles was first imported to the U.S. in 1974. In 2009, Skittles was transferred to Wrigley.

1982

Mars

Mars Opens Cocoa Research Center

The Mars Center for Cocoa Science opens in Bahia, Brazil, with the goal of developing more sustainable cocoa varieties and farming techniques to improve the lives of cocoa farmers and ensure future cocoa supplies.

1982

Mars Food

Ready-to-Heat Rice Ready for Market

The first canned Ready to Heat rice for UNCLE BEN’S® begins production in Kings Lynn, England.

1983

Mars

Mars Prints ‘The Five Principles’

Mars publishes its first booklet on The Five Principles, which is distributed globally across the corporation.

1984

Mars Wrigley

Iconic Mars Brands Join Olympic Lineup

M&M’S® plain and peanut chocolate candies and SNICKERS® candy bar are announced as the “Official Snack Foods of the Olympic Games.”

1984

Mars

Mars Relocates to McLean, Virginia

The corporate office of Mars, Incorporated, moves into a custom-built, self-owned office space in McLean, Virginia.

1984

Mars Wrigley

Mars Launches First Sugar-Free Gum

Wrigley introduces Extra®, its first sugar-free gum in the United States.

1985

Mars Food

Mars Adds Pasta to Its Food Portfolio

Pasta offerings, including spaghetti, tortellini and ravioli, launch in Australia under the name ALORA®, later rebranded as Dolmio in Europe in 1986.

1986

Mars Wrigley

DoveBar Joins Product Lineup at Mars

Mars enters the frozen snack business through the acquisition of DoveBar International in the U.S.

1989

Mars Wrigley

Wrigley Creates Oral Health Program

The Wrigley Oral Healthcare Program is established. The Wrigley Oral Healthcare Program partners with dental professionals worldwide, helping them improve their patients' oral health through one additional simple and enjoyable step: chewing sugar-free gum for 20 minutes after eating and drinking.

1989

Mars Petcare

Cesar Officially Launches

CESAR® brand launches to the delight of hungry dogs across the world.

1981

Mars Wrigley

Astronauts Choose M&M’S® for Shuttle Mission

Mars becomes the first candy in space when M&M’S® chocolate candies are chosen by the first space shuttle astronauts to be included in their food supply.

1990

1990

Mars Wrigley

Mars Bar® and M&M’S® Join the World Cup Squad

The MARS® candy bar and M&M’S® chocolate candies are announced as official sponsors of the football World Cup in Italy.

1991

Mars Wrigley

4 Mars Brands Available in CIS

More than 23 tons of SNICKERS®, MILKY WAY®, MARS® and RAIDER® candy bars go on sale for the first time in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

1992

Mars

Mars Serves as Single Sponsor for the Olympic Games

Mars, Incorporated, becomes the single worldwide food sponsor of the 1992 Olympic Games.

Over 11 million M&M’S fans voiced their choice — and a solid majority backed blue. The new hue edged out pink and purple to replace the tan M&M’S Chocolate Candies in the U.S. To honor this momentous occasion, the lights at the iconic Empire State Building in New York City heralded BLUE’s arrival.

1998

Mars Food

Mars Finds Organic Food Opportunity With Acquisition

Mars enters the organic food business with the purchase of Seeds of Change

1999

Mars

Creative and Innovative Business Leader Dies

Forrest E. Mars, Sr. dies at the age of 96 in Miami, Florida.

2000

2000

Mars Wrigley

M&M’S® Kicks Off Y2K

M&M’S® chocolate candies become “The Official Candy of the New Millennium.” MM is the Roman numeral for 2000

2000

Mars Food

Mars Buys French Food Company

Mars buys EBLY®, a manufacturer of wheat-based products in France

2001

Mars Wrigley

Popular Gum Brand Enters U.S. Market

Already a top-selling brand across Europe, the launch of Orbit® gum in the U.S. was a huge success.

2002

Mars Petcare

Royal Canin® Joins Pet Food Portfolio

Mars expands its pet business with the acquisition of ROYAL CANIN®, a French pet food company.

2005

Mars

Launch of Global Health and Life Sciences Business

Mars Symbioscience launches as an incubator of health business ideas and focuses on plantcare, dog genetics and cocoa flavanols.

2005

Mars Wrigley

Iconic Confectionary Brands Join Portfolio

In June 2005, Wrigley added the Altoids®, Life Savers®, Creme Savers® and Sugus® brands to its expanding portfolio of confectionery products.

2006

Mars Petcare

GREENIES™ Joins Product Lineup

Mars adds GREENIES™ to its portfolio.

2006

Mars Wrigley

Mars Creates Heritage Line of Chocolate

Fashioned off an ingredient list from 1750, American Heritage Chocolate is an authentically historic chocolate made from ingredients available in the 18th century. It’s sold exclusively at fine gift shops at historic sites, museums, historic inns in the U.S., Canada and online

Mars establishes the Mars Marketing Code and becomes the first food company to voluntarily stop advertising food and snack products to children under 12 years of age.

2007

Mars Wrigley

Wrigley Sells First Envelope Package for Gum

5® Gum makes its U.S. debut. The gum is sold in a slick 15-stick envelope package, a first for the gum category.

2007

Mars Wrigley

ADA Awards Sugar-Free Chewing Gum Seal of Acceptance

The American Dental Association awarded its Seal of Acceptance to chewing gum for the first time, recognizing sugar-free Orbit®, Extra® and Eclipse® as beneficial to oral health. Today, the FDI World Dental Federation and approximately 20 national dental associations worldwide recognize the oral care benefits of chewing sugar-free gum.

Mars becomes the world’s leading gum manufacturer with the acquisition of the William Wrigley, Jr. Company.

2009

Mars Petcare

Mars Unveils First LEED-Certified Petfood Facility in Arkansas

Mars Petcare opens the doors to the first LEED Certified pet food manufacturing facility in the world.

2009

Mars

Mars Prioritizes Sustainable Cocoa Farming

Mars is the first global chocolate company to commit to fundamentally changing the way sustainable cocoa farming practices are advanced by aiming to certify its entire cocoa supply as being produced in a sustainable manner by 2020.

2009

Mars

Prominent Nutrition Information Appears on All Packaging

Mars is the first confectionery company to launch front-of-pack nutrition labeling globally.

2009

Mars

Mars Announces Sustainability Commitments

Mars announces its commitment to make its operations Sustainable in a Generation (zero carbon, water and waste impact from its operations by 2040).

2010

2010

Mars

Mars Publishes Early Cocoa Genome Sequencing Results

Mars shares preliminary results of its efforts to sequence the cocoa genome to help develop cocoa varieties that are higher yielding, more robust and resistant to drought and disease, which will help cocoa farmers earn a better living.

2010

Mars Food

Mars Introduces Snack Squares in U.S.

GoodnessKNOWS®, luscious snack squares in three flavors, launched in the U.S.

2010

Mars

Mars Makes Strong Commitment to Sustainable Sourcing

Mars commits to source 100 percent of its palm oil from certified sources by 2015, and 100 percent of fish and seafood products from sustainable sources by 2020.

2014

Mars

Water Processing Plant Opens

Mars in Veghel, the Netherlands, opens first anaerobic Methane Wastewater treatment on the European continent which processes water up to 99 percent pure.

2014

Mars Wrigley

Mars Opens First U.S. Chocolate Plant in 35 Years

Mars Chocolate opens its first U.S. manufacturing site in 35 years in Topeka, Kansas.

2014

Mars

Wind Farm Opens in Texas

Mars opens a wind farm the size of Paris in Lamesa, Texas. The wind farm is estimated to produce enough power to power all Mars U.S. sites.

2014

Mars Petcare

Mars Acquires 3 Popular Pet Food Brands

Mars acquires IAMS, Ekanuba and Natura brands in North America, Latin America and other selected countries.

2014

Mars

Mars Opens First Factory in Saudi Arabia

Mars Saudi Arabia opens its first chocolate factory at King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh and is the first factory to meet LEED Gold Standard in Saudi Arabia.

Mars unveils its “Sustainable in a Generation Plan” and commits to invest $1 billion to tackle urgent threats facing our business and the society we operate in —– threats like climate change, poverty in our value chain and a scarcity of resources.

Since it was established in 1987, the Mars Wrigley Foundation has impacted millions of people around the world and awarded more than $70 million (USD). Its mission is to improve the health of people and our planet through initiatives focused on oral health, environmental stewardship and local needs that ensure healthy communities.

Mars Petcare starts a venture fund called The Companion Fund to back pet -technology, products and services.

2018

Mars Petcare

Linnaeus Joins Mars Petcare

Linnaeus, a leading U.K. provider of Veterinary Services joins the Mars Petcare portfolio.

2018

Mars

Lion’s Share Fund

Mars signs on as founding partner of the United Nation’s Development Programme’s “Lion’s Share Fund” to tackle crisis in wildlife conservation and animal welfare.

2018

Mars

Cocoa for Generations

Mars launches new Cocoa for Generations plan, intending to lead the way and invite the cocoa sector to partner in a new approach to increase farmer income, help safeguard children and forests today, and create a pathway for cocoa farmers, their families and communities to thrive.